Tuscaloosa Christian fights back but come up short

Fri. October 05, 2012 at 11:41 p.m. | By Marquavius Burnett

Tuscaloosa Christian’s Gabe Foster breaks free on a 37-yard touchdown run Friday night. (Photo by Stewart Gwin)

TUSCALOOSA | Tuscaloosa Christian fought back from an early deficit but fell to Evangel Christian 42-37 on Friday night in an eight-man Christian Football Association game.

Tuscaloosa Christian was stifled by Evangel Christian’s pass rush, led by junior defensive end Sam Stockman, who finished the game with three sacks.

“I just took advantage of every opportunity I had tonight,” Stockman said. “We didn’t want to give their quarterback any time to throw.”

The Warriors found themselves down 14-0 less than four minutes in after Evangel Christian scored on its first two drives.

Tuscaloosa Christian got on the scoreboard when junior Gabe Foster took a reverse 37 yards for a touchdown, making it 14-7 with 10:05 remaining in the first half. But the Warriors dug themselves a bigger hole, giving up two more touchdowns and a safety in the first half, making it 30-7.

Tuscaloosa Christian’s second score of the first half came on a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Potter to wide receiver Caleb Waddell with 4:07 left in the first half. The Warriors scored a safety right before the half, closing the gap to 30-15.

After a scoreless third quarter, Evangel Christian opened the fourth quarter with a 42-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Andrew Thompson to tight end Josh Letson, pushing the lead to 36-15.

The Warriors immediately answered with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore Boyd Banks, making it 36-23 with 10:18 left in the game. 

On the ensuing Evangel Christian drive, Thompson again found Letson for a touchdown, this time for 49 yards, pushing the Lightning’s lead to 42-23. The Lighting ran the same play-action fake it had run on its previous touchdown drive.

“I asked (Thompson) if he believed lightning would strike twice, and it did for us,” Evangel Christian coach Del Clayton said.

The Warriors scored two more touchdowns but came up short on their final drive of the game and turned the ball over on downs.

“The victory for us tonight was seeing our team fight until the end,” Tuscaloosa Christian coach Hunter Christian said.

Tuscaloosa Christian has a bye week before hosting Victory Christian from Columbus, Miss., Oct. 19.